SEO path composition

This chapter describes how FACT-Finder constructs the SEO path. It is intended to help you create your own SEO path manually if you want to construct your own URL for use in specific promotions of newsletters. If you do not want to create your own specific links and simply want to use the paths that are returned by FACT-Finder, there is no need to know how the URL is constructed.

Search results path

Filters

This type of path contains filter instructions for FACT-Finder. The path can contain multiple filter terms, each separated by a slash. Only the filter values (“Wardrobe”) are used, not the filter names (“Category1”). Nevertheless, in order for FACT-Finder to use the filters on the correct fields, it is essential that the filter terms are used in the correct position within the path. The position assignment is set in the FACT-Finder management interface (click Configuration and select SEO).

For the rest of this chapter, let’s assume that FACT-Finder is configured to expect URLs in the following format:

/Category1/Category2/Brand/Colour

So, in the first element of the path, FACT-Finder expects to find a term for the first-level category. In the second element, it expects a term for the second-level category. In the third element, FACT-Finder expects a manufacturer’s name. In the fourth element, it expects a value for the “Colour” field. A matching SEO path would therefore be as follows:

/Accessories/Cables/Hama/black

This would produce a search result containing all black cables made by Hama listed in the category Accessories/Cables. The SEO path does not need to include values for all fields. However, at least one value must be specified. Example:

/Accessories

If there are no subsequent values, there is no need to add any further slashes. FACT-Finder allocates the first value to the correct field and then ignores fields that are missing values. However, if previous values are missed out, the slashes must still be inserted. For example, FACT-Finder would not be able to assign the following filter correctly:

/black

In this case, FACT-Finder would assume that the term “black” was a category name. Since no such category exists, an empty results set would be returned. In order to tell FACT-Finder that the term refers to the fourth position in the SEO path, you need to write the path as follows:

////black

Here, values 1, 2 and 3 are empty, and the fourth value (“Colour”) is “black”. The search result would then contain all items in the products database for which the colour was recorded as “black”.

However, this path does not look particularly “nice”. For that reason, when configuring the SEO paths it is important that you assign the initial positions in the path to the fields that are used most frequently, and also not to select too many fields for use in the path. If you do this, paths like the one above would occur only rarely.

This example also shows a correct path:

//Cables//black

The search result would then contain all items in the products database for which the colour was recorded as “black” and the subcategory contained “cables”.

This is also a valid path, albeit unnecessarily complex:

//Cables//

The same result would be returned by the following path:

//Cables

Normalization

The filter values that FACT-Finder returns in SEO paths have been optimized for good readability in URLs. The actual database values are converted before being returned in the SEO path. For example, the category name Nice & tasty would be converted to an SEO path element /nice-and-tasty. The actual conversion rules can be adjusted according to your shop’s specific requirements and can differ from one project to another. If you want to create your own SEO URLs by hand, ask Omikron for information on the conversion rules being applied for your web shop.

Search terms

It is also possible to include a search term as part of an SEO path. This opens the door to a range of opportunities when it comes to creating special SEO URLs. The search term should always be the final element in the SEO path and should be terminated by /q. Example:

/black-socks/q

This is a search query for black socks, not a category filter. You can combine search queries with filters in the SEO path. Just remember that the search term must always be the final element. Examples:

/Wardrobes/wardrobe-for-bedroom/q

This returns a search result for the search term wardrobe for bedrooms with a category filter wardrobes.

////red/socks/q

This path causes FACT-Finder to search for socks and then apply a colour filter red.

Search terms and filters are normalised using identical conversion rules.

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